Re-becoming keystone species, and practical steps for restoring your environment, with Tanja Dekker

Re-becoming keystone species, and practical steps for restoring your environment, with Tanja Dekker

Author: Oliver Goshey December 13, 2024 Duration: 1:18:37
Long time listeners to this show will know that soil health and deep soil science are not my specialty. I’ve done quite a few interviews on soil over the years, but I’ve usually looked for broader patterns and simple concepts around health soil function, and left the lab work and understanding all the microbes and fungi to others. A few weeks ago however I was invited by my friend Isa to a soil food web alumni gathering. There I met so many fascinating people who spoke about their projects and initiatives with farmers and other organizations which ranged from production and crop health goals, to AI learning and even national security collaborations. One of the many wonderful people I met was Tanja Dekker who is a soil life consultant and educator specializing in adaptive land management, with extensive expertise in regenerative agriculture, sustainable food forest design, and eco-conscious entrepreneurship. She leads her organization, Festina Lente, inspired by the alchemical concept meaning “make haste slowly.” Tanja is passionate about implementing regenerative practices that prioritize environmental health and community resilience.In this episode we cover a wide range of topics from the family tragedy that led her to shift careers and work to restore soil, through her unified theory of the trajectory of the natural world and our role in it, to realizing our potential as a keystone species and the practical steps involved with analyzing your soil and broader ecosystem in order to take actions that enhance its health and vital processes. This episode winds through curvy roads of philosophical concepts and down-to-earth steps for taking action in your own context.

What does it mean to live a regenerative life, and how do we actually do it? That's the central question explored in Regenerative Skills, hosted by Oliver Goshey. This isn't just about theory; it's a practical dialogue focused on stewardship of the natural world and fostering strong, resilient communities. Every week, Oliver brings conversations with a diverse range of global experts right to your ears, translating their knowledge into actionable steps you can integrate into your daily habits. You'll hear tangible strategies for everything from soil health and sustainable food systems to building local networks and re-skilling ourselves for a better future. The aim is to move beyond sustainability toward active regeneration, providing the tools and perspectives needed to make a tangible difference right where you are. Tune into this educational podcast for a grounded, hopeful, and deeply informative journey. Together, these discussions build a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to heal their relationship with the environment and their neighbors, proving that positive change is woven from countless small, intentional actions.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Regenerative Skills
Podcast Episodes
The story of soil through a microscope, with Isadora Schmidt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:48
Continuing with my series highlighting badass local people around my community here in Spain, I was really pleased to be able to share this conversation that I had with a new close friend of mine and soil health advocate…
Keys to successful regenerative farm transition, with Andre Antunes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:45
I have to admit, there is an unsung hero behind many of my favorite interviews of the past couple years. Connections and recommendations to some of the people who I’ve learned the most from in some recent discussions wit…
Farming for both local and regional change, with Anne Van Leeuwen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:10
Today’s conversation is the first of a two part conversation with Anne Va Leeuwen from Bodemzicht in the Netherlands that I’ve been looking forward to for quite a few years. Anne and her husband Ricardo and I met for the…
Soil health and drought mitigation panel from REVOLVE magazine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:14
A couple weeks ago I was invited to speak on a panel discussion about soil health for the release of a new issue of REVOLVE magazine. Established in 2010, REVOLVE inspires climate action by keeping you informed about the…
Simplifying gardening and food forests, with David the Good [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:25
Continuing on the theme of last week’s episode in which I spoke with Jessica Robertson about community food forests, we’re going to go deeper into the practical knowledge and skills that anyone can develop to create thei…
Finding the potential in "invasive" species, with Tao Orion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:59
I’m really lucky that I have been collaborating with book publishers since the early days of this podcast. It gives me access to all of the books from the authors that I interview and the full catalogs of most of the pub…